Aircraft landing gear



Oct. 17, 1944, E. E. CHALBERG 2,360,759

AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR Filed Oct. 5, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q s/s/VVVs/HAM 0 4 zwwdm-z CZa/Zey 2i zz 9 1944- E. E. CHALBERG AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1942 Inventor Oct. 17, 1944.

E. E. CHALBERG 2,360,759

AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR Filed Oct. 5, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1944. E. E. CHALBERG 2,360,759

AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR Filed 001;. 5, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor Edward .3572! 'kwzbe y Oct. 17, 1944. E. E. CHALBERG AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR Filed 001;. 5, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor E an! dMl'e/y BI) Maw,

Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR Edward Emil Chalberg, San Diego, Calif.

Application October 5, 1942, Serial No. 460,879

3 Claim.

. and individual retracting mechanism for each.

Another important object of the invention is to provide landing gear for aircraft which will be positive acting and fool-proof in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents an elevational view showing the dual type landing gear in landing position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional and elevational view showing the dual type landing gear in retracted position.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of one of the wheel units.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through one of the yieldable Joints.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the improved retracting and extending mechanism used in conjunction with the conventional landing wheel.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 5, showing the landing wheel in extended position.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a somewhat modified form of drive means for the mechanism.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the hand operated drive for the mechanism.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a pin and slot joint replacing the type of joint shown in Figure 4.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the mechanism of Figure 9 in retracted position.

Referring to Figure 1, and eventually to the other figures, wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 denotes a pocket into which the particular wheel assembly of the aircraft landing gear can be retracted.

The present invention contemplates constructing each landing wheel assembly in a dual fashion, as shown in Figure 1. In place of the single landing wheel, the present invention contemplates two landing wheels 3, 3, each having a neck 1 extending upwardly into a leg 3. These two legs are in close spaced relation when the landing gear is in landing position, one leg carrying a socket member 9, while the other carries a plug member I, to the end that the legs are held in proper upright position and cannot get offset.

As the operating means for these legs is the same, a description of one will sufllce for both.

In further carrying out the present invention, for each leg 8, a shaft l I is provided in the pocket 5 and hasan arm I? to which an operating rod I3 is connected.

A second am it depends from the shaft I I and p votally connects to ears ii on a barrel II which telescopes a second barrel I! of a yieldable joint generally referred to by numeral it. The barrel I! has ears is which overlap the upper end of the corresponding leg 8 and a pin 20 serves, to pivotally connect these parts. Further, the leg 3 has an ear 2|, and the barrel. I! has an ear 2!, these ears being connected by a link member 23.

As can be seen in Figure 4, a coiled compression spring 24 is provided in the yieldable joint I] so as to normally maintain the barrels i8, i1 extended,

It can now be seen that when the rods l3 in Figure 1 are pulled toward each other, the arm I will be moved in a manner that will cause the joints l8 to break inwardly in the direction of the arrows. When these Joints have broken past dead center, the wheels and legs are being swung the legs and wheels upwardly in opposite directions into the pocket 5 where they will remain against accidental displacement due to the action of the spring 24 in the joints l3 holding the joints and arm It in of! centered position.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figures 5 and 6 wherein a single conventional wheel 30 i mounted on a leg 3| and a link member 32 extends from this leg II to an arm 33 on a shaft 34. A yieldable joint Ila corresponding to the joint I! is connected to the shaft 34 at one of its ends. The other end of the joint a is pivotally connected, as at 35, to an arm 36 which extends from a shaft 31. The shaft 31 has an arm 33 which is pivotally connected to one end of a drive rod 38.

It can now be seen that when the rod 33 is pulled in the direction of the arrows in Figure 5, the Joint Ila will be contracted, will pass dead center and the spring to an off centered position'as the wheel 30 i brought down to landing position.

Figure 7 shows another form of the invention, numeral Ill denoting a gear, pulley or some other drive element for a shaft ll, which shaft has an arm 42 pivotally connected, as at 43, to one cylinder of the yieldable joint lib, corresponding in construction to the Joint II. The other cylinder of the Joint is pivotally connected, as at ,.to the upper end of a landing wheel leg 45, this leg being connected by a link member I to the adjacent cylinder of the Joint l'b.

Obviously, the form of the invention in Figure 7 is operated by rotation of the gear, pulley, or the like, 40, which compresses the joint llb and throws it of! center where it is held by the internal spring 24 maintaining the wheel leg 45 in lowered landing position.

Another form of the invention is shown in Figure 8, wherein a pair of shafts 50, II are provided, the shaft 50 having an arm I2, while the shaft at one end has a yieldable joint I80 connected thereto, the remaining end of the Joint llc being pivotally connected, as at 53, to the remaining end of the arm 52. Numeral 54 denotes the upper end of a wheel leg which is rigidly connected to the shaft SI and a link connection i5 is provided between the upper portion oi'the leg 54 and the adjacent section of the joint lie.

The operating mechanism for this consists of a hand wheel 56 driving a sprocket wheel 51 over which a sprocket chain 58 is trained. The ends of this sprocket chain 58 are connected to the ends of a length of rope or the like 59 which in turn is trained over a pair of pulleys GI and Cl and over a distal pulley 62. One flight of this rope or the line 58 i anchored, as at 63, to the arm 52. Obviously, rotation 01' the wheel 58 will impart motion to the arm 52 in throwing the joint Me to one position or the other.

A further form of the invention is shown in Figures 9 and 10, and in this form of the invention a pair of shafts 65, 66 are provided, the shaft 65 having an arm 61- to which is connected an operating rod 68. The shaft 65 has a second arm 68 provided with a roller 10 operating in a slot ll of an arm 12 secured to the shaft. Depending from the shaft 66 is a landing wheel leg 13 having a leg 14 at its lower end. The link brace 15 is provided between the leg 13 and the slotted arm 12. Obviously, operation of the rod 68 by being moved to the left in Figure 9 will result in throwing the Joint generally referred to by numeral 16 upwardly to the position shown in Figure 10; while at the same time retracting the wheel. This form of the invention is quite similar to that of Figure 1, excepting that the yieldable joint I! is replaced.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An aircraft landing gear comprising a wheel assembly consisting of a pair of closely spaced wheels, a leg for each wheel adapted for raising and lowering movement toward and away from each other, interengasing means carried by the legend engageable when the legs are lowered to retain the wheels in axial alinement, and means for elevating and lowering the legs simultaneously, said means consisting of a shaft for each leg, an arm on each shaft, and a yieldable iloint between each arm and it corresponding 2,. An aircraft landing gear comprising a wheel assembly consisting of a pair of closely spaced wheels, a leg for each wheel adapted for raising and lowering movement toward and away from each other, interengaging means carried by the legs and engageable when the legs are lowered to retain the wheels in axial alinement, and means for elevating and lowering the legs simultaneously, said means consisting of a shaft for each leg, an arm on each shaft. and a yieldable joint between each arm and its corresponding leg, each of the joints comprising a pair of telescopic elements and a compression spring interposed between the same for maintaining the same in extended position.

3. An aircraft landing gear comprising a wheel assembly consisting of a pair of closely spaced wheels, a leg for each wheel adapted for raising and lowering movement toward and away from each other, interengaging means carried by the legs and engageable when the legs are lowered to retain the wheels in axial alinement, and means for elevating and lowering the legs simultaneously, said means consisting of a shaft for each leg. an arm on each shaft. and a yieldable Joint between each arm and its corresponding leg, said joint comprising an arm on the leg having a slot therein and a roller on the firstmentioned arm riding in the slot.

EDWARD MIL CHALBE'RG. 

